Human Shield: Part 3
by whynotzoidberg
Summary: A continuation of Abira's interactions with the crew.


Soon, I came to a bronze shuttle docked inside the ship. I knocked.

"Excuse me, I was told I could find some clothes here," I mumbled.

Suddenly, a beautiful woman, whom I immediately recognized as a Companion, was in the doorway.

"Ah, you must be the new girl Kaylee told me about. Come in."

I bowed and entered her shuttle. It was decorated in fine silks and beads. The style was heavily influenced by Indian culture.

"Now, let's find some clothes for you," she said with a smile.

"Ah, before that, I must warn you. I have no curves that would hold up a dress or shirt such as yours," I added nervously.

Inara chuckled. "Oh really?"

"Yes. My breasts and any unnecessary fat were removed to make me more efficient. My entire reproductive system was removed as well, leaving me genderless," I explained. She stopped chuckling.

"Undress please," she asked.

I slipped off my uniform to reveal a body that was mostly made of metal. The only organic parts of my body were my arms from the elbows down, my legs from the knees down, my stomach area, my neck, and my head. Inara gasped.

"What did they do to you? You poor girl."

I smiled. "It's not that bad. The only thing I miss is my hair. They removed all my hair follicles to ensure that I would have no distractions." I rubbed my bald head and shrugged.

Obviously fascinated by my new body, Inara approached me. She stood close and pressed her hand to my chest. The old me would have felt extremely uncomfortable, but the new me couldn't even feel it. Her hand glided over the metal curved around my rib cage.

"That's really interesting," she said. I nodded. "Alright, I think I'll be able to find you something." Inara searched through her vast closet as I admired her room.

"Aren't you curious?" she asked from within the clothing.

"About what?"

"About being a companion. I'm sure Mal didn't say anything nice about me."

"I'm not curious at all. Companions are respected throughout the galaxy and are known for their wild success. It is a respectable profession."

Inara smiled as she pulled a thin orange cloak out of her closet. It was lightweight, had a hood and no sleeves. One side tapered to the ground.

"This is light and easily removed for when you need to fight or do anything. It can also conceal your identity as well as your inorganic parts. And thank you."

I slipped on the garment and pulled the hood back off my head.

"You're welcome."

She smiled again and turned to her vanity.

"Now, some things to help you with your identity." She pulled a long necklace, a string tiara, and a pair of earring out of one of the drawers. The necklace wrapped twice around my neck and the tiara sat on my forehead with a jewel in the center. She brought the matching earrings up to my ears and frowned. I took them from her and pushed them through the flesh of my ear lobe. Blood trickled ever so slightly.

"It's okay. I didn't feel it."

She continued to frown. Then she got a small hanky from her dresser and dabbed both my ears. I smiled softly at her kindness.

"If you ever need anything else, anything at all, just come find me," she said. I bowed and left the shuttle.

The rest of the ship was pretty standard for a Firefly class boat. Of course, I only knew this after the information suddenly erupted from my data banks. Before, I didn't even know Firefly was a class. It was relatively quiet with only the hum of the engine to disrupt the silence.

I didn't expect much friendliness from the crew. They probably felt threatened by me. No only could I replace all of them, but I could do it efficiently and cheaply. Not that I planned to or anything. Plus, I was a cyborg. The reason they were de-commissioned some time back was because they were volatile. They were easily hacked and were capable of killing. They were also created by taking the freshly dead and sewing their parts onto a robot for the sake of appearance. That was pretty gross.

I walked carefully out of the cargo deck and into a room that was shared by the infirmary. I could see River and Simon through the glass. River beckoned for me to come in.

"Very pretty," she said with a broad smile. I looked down at my new outfit.

"Thank you."

Simon looked up from his work. "Wow, Inara really changed your look."

I nodded. It had been a long time since I had been complimented.

"You miss her, don't you? Your mom. Even though she tried to kill you," River suddenly murmured.

It shocked me a bit but I remained somewhat calm.

"I do miss her. I left her behind."

Simon looked shocked. "I'm so sorry, she does that some-"

"The Reavers killed her, didn't they? They raped her and killed her," she continued.

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't say a word.

"River!" Simon cried as he glared at her. "I'm so sorry. She's…"

"She's right," I said. "That's probably what happened. If not then she probably killed herself." I looked at Simon thoughtfully. "It's okay."

Simon, at a loss for words, closed his mouth slowly and turned to River. I smiled and left for the common room. In it, I found Zoe.

She acknowledged me with a nod and sat down at the table, a plate in her hands.

I sat at the end of the table and placed my hands in front of me.

"Hungry? You can help yourself," she said, her spoon full of melted protein.

"Oh no, I don't eat. Or I can't eat, I guess."

She stared skeptically at me.

"I have no stomach. I can't eat or drink. It just wouldn't work. I don't even know if I can produce saliva anymore."

Zoe ate vigorously as I spoke. "Sucks to be you," she murmured.

I laughed. Shepherd Book walked in. He smiled.

"I'm glad to see you two getting along," he noted. Zoe nodded and continued to eat. The Shepherd sat in the chair to my right.

"You're pretty far from home Shepherd," I said. "What are you doing in these parts of the galaxy?"

"Seeing the rest of the world, I guess. And helping those who need helping."

"And he's a mean shot if we need it," commented Zoe.

"You can shoot?" I asked.

"If I must."

I nodded.

"And you…uh…"

"Abira. And yes and no. I've never shot a weapon in my life but I think when the time comes I'll be able to do it without much thinking."

Shepherd nodded. Zoe stood up and brought her plate to the sink.

"Instead of sitting around being useless, why don't you find something to do, robot," she said as she walked out. I still flinched at the word robot. I sighed.

"She's right. Apparently I can do anything, so I should probably be of some use." Shepherd smiled sadly. I rose and left for the engine room.

"Hello?" I called into the noisy room. Kaylee appeared suddenly, her face coated in grease.


End file.
